Cooks, Fast Food Salary in Missouri
Cooks, Fast Food in Missouri have a median of $29,890 a year, below the national $30,890 (−3%); the state ranks 30th of 51 states by median. That is 37% less than the median across all occupations in Missouri ($47,800). Among neighbouring states, Illinois and Nebraska pay more (up to $34,960 in Illinois) and Kansas, Iowa, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Kentucky pay less (down to $23,500 in Kentucky). Missouri employs 55,780 cooks, fast food, 19.0 per 1,000 jobs, the 3rd largest count of any state. A location quotient of 4.61 means the occupation is more concentrated in Missouri than nationally.
Missouri vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Missouri | Hourly | $13.75 | $13.84 | $14.37 | $14.94 | $16.97 | $14.90 | 55,780 | 19.00 | 4.61 |
| Annual | $28,600 | $28,790 | $29,890 | $31,080 | $35,290 | $30,990 | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $10.86 | $13.11 | $14.85 | $17.92 | $20.63 | $15.57 | 641,070 | – | – |
| Annual | $22,580 | $27,260 | $30,890 | $37,260 | $42,910 | $32,390 | ||||
- Rank by median
- 30th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 3rd of 49 states
- Location quotient
- 4.61
- Jobs per 1,000
- 19.00
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of Missouri's employment divided by its national share; 1.00 means the same share as the nation. Take-home pay at these wages: FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Metropolitan areas in Missouri
8 metropolitan areas and 4 nonmetropolitan areas touching Missouri publish a row for cooks, fast food, sorted by median. Areas crossing a state line are listed under every state they touch; a linked metro has its own profile.
| Area | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis, MO-IL | $14.84 | $30,860 | $29,510 | $36,450 | 17,700 | 13.20 | 3.20 |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | $14.50 | $30,170 | $29,180 | $34,800 | 13,850 | 12.64 | 3.07 |
| St. Joseph, MO-KS | $14.24 | $29,620 | $28,600 | $33,990 | 1,020 | 18.84 | 4.57 |
| Springfield, MO | $14.03 | $29,190 | $28,600 | $30,920 | 4,880 | 21.87 | 5.30 |
| Columbia, MO | $13.99 | $29,110 | $28,600 | $35,140 | 2,470 | 22.97 | 5.57 |
| Cape Girardeau, MO-IL | $13.86 | $28,820 | $28,600 | $33,870 | 1,070 | 23.89 | 5.79 |
| Jefferson City, MO | $13.75 | $28,600 | $28,600 | $31,670 | 1,320 | 16.42 | 3.98 |
| Joplin, MO-KS | $13.75 | $28,600 | $28,600 | $33,140 | 2,030 | 23.31 | 5.65 |
| Central Missouri nonmetropolitan area | $13.75 | $28,600 | $28,600 | $30,110 | 4,150 | 26.78 | 6.50 |
| North Missouri nonmetropolitan area | $13.75 | $28,600 | $28,600 | $33,040 | 2,030 | 19.08 | 4.63 |
| Southeast Missouri nonmetropolitan area | $13.75 | $28,600 | $28,600 | $32,830 | 3,820 | 23.19 | 5.62 |
| Southwest Missouri nonmetropolitan area | $13.75 | $28,600 | $28,600 | $31,060 | 2,130 | 26.78 | 6.50 |
Neighbouring states
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Missouri | $14.37 | $29,890 | 55,780 | 4.61 |
| Arkansas | $13.32 | $27,710 | 7,860 | 1.46 |
| Iowa | $13.71 | $28,510 | 8,290 | 1.29 |
| Illinois | $16.81 | $34,960 | 13,430 | 0.53 |
| Kansas | $13.77 | $28,640 | 1,610 | 0.27 |
| Kentucky | $11.30 | $23,500 | 21,750 | 2.64 |
| Nebraska | $14.63 | $30,430 | 2,900 | 0.69 |
| Oklahoma | $13.33 | $27,720 | 8,860 | 1.26 |
| Tennessee | $13.62 | $28,330 | 14,020 | 1.04 |
See the national page for Cooks, Fast Food (every state ranked) and the Missouri wage profile (every occupation in the state).
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS Missouri estimates.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.